Tony Wilkinson takes six wickets in one over for Holmfirth Seconds in Drakes League

Sensational career-best performance

by Mel Booth

09:10, 3 May 2017Updated09:11, 3 May 2017

Tony Wilkinson of Holmfirth CC - Tony got a double Hat-trick in 1 over against Birkby rose Hill, 8 wickets in total

Tony Wilkinson took a sensational double hat trick in one over for Holmfirth Seconds.

The 40-year-old finished with a career-best eight for 20 in the Jedi Sports Championship Two fixture against Birkby Rose Hill, who were dismissed for 51 at Bridge Fold.

It was his first appearance of the season and, incredibly, his first delivery was smashed into the bowling green for six!

Wilkinson was soon having the last laugh, however, and achieving an incredibly rare feat.

“It was slightly bizarre to say the least,” admitted the former Denby player, who has played since the age of 13, mostly with Hensall in the Pontefract League.

“I had a hat trick last season for Holmfirth against Denby Dale – the first I’ve ever had – but nothing like this has happened to me before.”

He bowls medium pace, right-arm inswing and explained how, in his team’s five-wicket win, he took six wickets in the over – those of opener Zaheer Ahmed, Zubair Mohammed Ayub, Abdul Rehman, Shahbaz Mir, Hassan Rehman and finally No9 Imram Farooq.

“I was very pleased to get their opener lbw, then the second one was a bit of a jaffer, a real good one to clean bowl the guy,” said Wilkinson, a quantity surveyor who is in his second season with Holmfirth , where he lives with wife Zoe and sons Ronnie (10) and Albie (5).

“At that point I just thought I might get another hat trick and went for the yorker, which worked perfectly.

“The fourth one was just outside off stump, swinging back in and he edged it onto the stumps and, at that point, it was all a bit surreal.

Tony Wilkinson Holmfirth CC and the rest of the 2nd team- - Tony got a double Hat-trick in 1 over against Birkby rose Hill, 8 wickets in total

“With the fifth wicket, the batsman was batting almost on off stump and moved further across, so the ball took his leg stump.

“I think they were a bit like rabbits in the headlights at that stage because they couldn’t get padded up quickly enough!

“With the last one, I just tried to bowl on the stumps and the guy missed it, the ball hit his pads and the finger went up.

“I was absolutely delighted but it was all a bit of a blur. The lads all went nuts and it was good fun.”

Wilkinson, who also wrapped up the innings from the bowling green end at Bridge Fold, finished with figures of 5.4 overs, one maiden, eight for 20.

“It was my first match of the season after just one net last Thursday night – which was horrendous,” joked the man who lived in Honley from 2001 before moving to Holmfirth.

“At the age of 40 your body starts to hurt, and I’m still hurting now having played two matches over the weekend!”

Wilkinson – whose previous best was four wickets in an over – got a duck when batting, but it mattered not as Holmfirth reached 55-5 for six points.

His was not the only outstanding performance of the second XI league and Paddock Shield programme.

In the league, Paul Metcalf took a hat trick for Thongsbridge B at Nortonthorpe A.

And in the Paddock Shield, Asim Rafiq was the hero for Edgerton & Dalton A in their victory against Mirfield Parish Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers totalled 107 in 32.2 overs with Rafiq taking four for 25.

Edgerton were then in trouble at 46-4 when Rafiq went in at No6, but he produced a volley of sixes to finish on 46 not out and earn an incredible one-wicket victory at 113-9.